The present invention relates to a procedure and to a tool for use in dentistry, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method which provide for the removing of a calibrated amount of dental enamel and for the forming and applying of a veneer facing to a tooth, and particularly with regard to the tool a means for forming a compact indexing excavation for indexing the veneer to be applied.
It is conventional practice in dentistry to apply a veneer facing to a tooth which has been damaged either as a result of trauma or disease, i.e., caries. Generally, the surface enamel of the tooth is partially removed by grinding to form a relatively even surface, a mold is taken of the tooth and the surrounding portions of the mouth to form a facing which is then adhesively secured to the previously ground down surface.
Such a veneer is generally not subject to the extreme structural stress to which the facing transverse surfaces of teeth are subject, but rather it is applied to a vertical buccal or labial surface. Generally primarily for cosmetic purposes as well as to protect the undersurface of the tooth from further damage caused by chemical or bacterial action. Great care must be taken to insure that the veneer is securely applied to the tooth substrate so as to be not only cosmetically satisfactory but also to insure against damage during chewing. The dentist must carefully place the veneer against the surface and by eye insure that it has been properly implaced.